Current research indicates that within 2 years of use, a pillow’s weight increases by 30% due to the accumulation of dead skin cells, dust mites, and their droppings. In a similar fashion, Free Salamander Exhibit has gradually augmented its own weight through an accumulation of musical and literary droppings, distilled these into creative impulses- -impulses committed to memory and subsequently forgotten. Originally called the Rock Springs Six, Free Salamander Exhibit makes no bones about being influenced by the early work of Sleepytime Gorilla Museum. “Yeah, we all have that first record,” they mutter nonchalantly. Their new name is taken from the Sleepytime Gorilla Press’s 1916 leaflet distributed by Pentecostal snake-handler George Went Hensley of Tennessee, wherein the gospel dictum “They shall take up serpents and salamanders” was treated to more or less literal interpretation. “Yeah, we all handle them, salamanders that is,” they confess. Yes, they have renounced their snake handling ways in favor of the modern hair-shirt, i.e. the burlap gown. Certainly their outfits are uncomfortable and make playing difficult, especially for the non-rock instruments they sometimes employ, but what price beauty? It seems the past is something this band of burlap brothers would rather put to rest. Free Salamander Exhibit gained some notoriety in the early 2000s by impersonating the members of Sleepytime Gorilla Museum, even going so far as insinuating themselves into the SGM members’ households. When it was announced in 2010 that SGM had been “subsumed” into the very bodies of Free Salamander Exhibit, the music press understood this to figuratively refer to a simple regrouping. Boy, were they wrong. Currently based in Oakland, CA, Free Salamander Exhibit continues to shed its dead skin cells, casting off an accumulated detritus of metal, prog-rock, and art-rock influences. Nils, Dan, Michael, David, and Drew (at least these are the names they claim) meet regularly in an underground concrete shelter. Here they sit at an oval-shaped table in a spirit of constructive argumentation, poring over the nature of memory and the illusory promise of free will. Eventually they emerge, ready again to absorb the environmental stimuli that nourish their world-view. Through this circular process of absorption and molting, Free Salamander Exhibit hopes to augment the mass of your own pillow as well. Shed some skin with Free Salamander Exhibit in your town soon! FREE SALAMANDER EXHIBIT is: Nils Frykdahl – vocals, guitar, flute Dan Rathbun – bass, sledgehammer dulcimer, vocals Michael Mellender – guitar, trumpet, baritone, tangularium, spleen, double-bladed cat sneeze, percussion-guitar, vocals David Shamrock – drums, glockenspiel Drew Wheeler – guitar, glockenspiel, theremin, waterphone, vocals

Hailing from the singularly vibrant musical hotbed known as Chicago, CHEER-ACCIDENT has been a creative, vital force in rock music for over 20 years. They constantly strive to surprise their audiences and themselves through relentless reinvention. From dreamy pop to angular art-rock, CHEER-ACCIDENT strikes a powerful balance between personalized and unique studio wizardry and the visceral excitement of a well-honed, explosive live rock band. The band is a quintet at its foundation, fronted by Carmen Armillas, whose powerfully emotive voice has recently led CHEER-ACCIDENT down the path of even deeper connectedness with their already-loyal audience. Presenting itself in various configurations, the band’s core personnel is frequently augmented by some of Chicago’s finest musicians. Their body of work is unparalleled in its ambition and originality, and their two latest releases, “Fear Draws Misfortune” and “No Ifs, Ands or Dogs” (both on Cuneiform Records), demonstrate how the band continues to improve with each passing year. After their hugely successful performance in 2013’s Rock In Opposition Festival in France, they returned to Europe for several shows in July 2014, this time as a streamlined quartet: Dante Kester- bass Jeff Libersher- guitar, vocals, trumpet Evelyn Davis- vocals. piano and its innards Thymme Jones- drums, trumpet, vocals